The Cautionary Tale of Lucy Collins
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, days 890b-896b: Artie had always heard the story from ear to ear, but now it may come to jeopardize him and Lucy.
1. The Past

_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 42nd cycle. Now cycle 43!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>INTRODUCING "CHEAT SHEET" - <strong>If you want to know ahead of time when a certain series will be updated next, just reassemble the link below and check out the list, save it, print it, bookmark it, whatever you need!  
>Go to: <span>gleekathon [dot] tumblr [dot] com [slash] cheatsheet<span>_

_** UPDATED WITH CYCLE 43 CHEAT SHEET ** Check it out to find out about **shift days**!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>This is a shift day [see above].<strong> There was another upload this morning: The Customer You Are Trying to Reach..., chapter 2._

* * *

><p><strong>"The Cautionary Tale of Lucy Collins"<br>Artie/Lucy (OC)  
>Following 'Wheels Go Two By Two' <strong>

**1. The Past**

Sometimes he would go in and stick around Breadstix while she worked, but that usually distracted her, and he didn't want her losing her job for it. So the routine instead had become for them to hang out around the mall for a while until her shift started. Then she'd go to work and he'd head home. Sometimes he'd end up coming back to be there when she finished, and they'd go back to watch a movie at his house or hers. As their pre-shift hang out that day had involved a trip through the DVD sections that ended with a stack of new purchases, that would probably be the case that night.

"You know I've been hearing whispers…" Lucy told him as they came to sit by the fountain and he parked his chair before her.

"What kind of whispers?" he asked.

"Well, the guys from the band told me they heard Schuester's thinking about doing a musical."

"Really…" he sat back, intrigued.

"Yeah they were just standing there and he was talking to Miss Pillsbury," she explained.

"Interesting…" he nodded slowly, then paused when he saw her face. "You're not nervous again, are you?" She shrugged.

"Little bit," she admitted.

"You did so good at Sectionals," he reminded her and she smiled.

"Thanks, it's just… a musical is very different."

"Not that much," he insisted. "It's a lot of work, crazy costumes sometimes, and people fight for solos… The only real difference is it's longer." This got a small laugh out of her. "You never know, you could end up with the lead."

"Oh, I don't know about that…" her laugh turned nervous.

"I do, I believe it," he insisted, and she looked back to him.

"Just hope Rachel doesn't want it too though, right?" she joked, getting up. "Okay, I have to go, need to change and all."

"We'll get back to this," he pointed at her and she just leaned in to kiss him goodbye before heading in to the restaurant.

Clothes changed and hair pulled up, Lucy had gone in to start her shift. She'd be there until closing that day, which was fine. She'd always tell Artie she loved being in the restaurant when there was no one left, and he'd smile and call her a goof.

Overall it was a pretty easy night. No big parties, no loudmouths, no one who knew her and tried to mooch free food off of her… She'd just get through it and then she could meet Artie for movie night.

"Can you switch with me?" She was startled and looked back to Janice, another one of the waitresses.

"Why, what's wrong?" Lucy laughed.

"Couple at table nine…" Since Janice's husband had walked out on her the month before, the woman still had an issue being… courteous to the still happy couples of the world, and she couldn't lose her job…

"Alright, just this once," Lucy grabbed a couple of menus, while the woman mouthed a silent thank you.

Lucy went on ahead, trying not to smirk. She felt bad for her co-worker, but at the same time her reactions amused her. At first it would have been bad to laugh about it, but now Janice did too, sometimes. If she'd wanted to pass the couple off to her though, she had to imagine they were being very visually 'couple like.'

She recognized him from behind, and she froze. If Janice had her reasons for being hesitant to serve the couple, Lucy had possibly even bigger ones… At least Janice didn't know the guy. Grant Hastings was supposed to be her knight in shining armor… Only it had taken her too long to realize all that armor did was to hide his true nature. They had been broken up a few months by the time she and Artie had started their courtship.

She could have gone back to Janice, told her to suck it up and go serve them after all, but Lucy wouldn't do that to her. It wasn't like she didn't see him around school every day, but over there she didn't have to deal with him if she didn't want to. Here it was her job… to serve him. She took a few breaths, letting some of the emotions flush out of her system before she had to face him. She was going to have to do it whether she liked it or not, so she might as well get it over with.

"Welcome to Breadstix," she made her approach, handing them their menus. A lot of things happened in that moment: the two of them looked up, Grant saw Lucy, Lucy saw Grant… Lucy saw… "Anna…" she hadn't recognized Grant's date from behind.

"Hey, Lucy, I didn't know you worked here!" the girl was all smiles, as she tended to be.

"I, yeah, for a while," Lucy told her, though now her eyes were drawn back to Grant, who had been staring at her with an amused smirk from the moment he'd seen it was her. "Grant," she greeted him. He didn't say a word. Instead he opened his menu, began inspecting it with great attention, reading each entry quietly. Lucy tried to bite back the sneer that was building under her features like a primed volcano. "Spaghetti and meatballs," she muttered under her breath – he showed about as little variety as there came. He looked up at the sound of her voice.

"What's that?" he asked, like she was just any other waitress. Breathe, she told herself, breathe.

"Can I start you guys off with something to drink?"

"Root beer, please?" Anna asked right away, ever smiling.

"Sure," Lucy marked it, then looked up. "Grant?" she kept her voice even. He looked to her.

"I'll have the same, why not," he turned his smile to the girl at his side, who laughed.

"I'll get those for you while you decide on your order," she made her exit swift.

She made it to the soda machine, grabbing two glasses to fill them, and she didn't realize her hands were shaking until her fingers jerked and the glass slipped out of her hands, tumbling to the ground and splashing her shoes… It was a good thing she'd only just started filling the plastic cup, although now her shoes would be sticky and everyone would hear it as she walked… Grant would just love that.

He was going to do it to her… Anna… the same thing he'd done to her.

Anna wasn't stupid, but then neither was Lucy. Still, from what Lucy knew of her, Anna would end up in the same position she had, and wouldn't it be her fault if she didn't do anything about it?

She hadn't said anything, not that night. It would have seemed like she was just the jealous or needy ex-girlfriend, wanting her man back, which was far from that. She made it through the dinner through sheer force of will, as Grant's amusement showed no end. Anna had no clue… none at all.

By the time they were gone, Lucy just wanted the night to end, so she could leave and be with Artie and… maybe he'd be able to help her figure out what she was supposed to do. When she saw him outside the restaurant on her way out, she must have looked as bad as she felt.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and she shook her head. "What's wrong?"

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)


	2. The Present

_**This is a shift day [see above].** There was another upload this morning: Births & Rebirths._

* * *

><p><strong>"The Cautionary Tale of Lucy Collins"<strong>

**2. The Present**

She had waited until they had gotten to his place before she would speak, and even then it wasn't easy for her to get started. She'd sat there on the couch, systematically unwrapping the stack of DVDs they'd bought earlier although he was just about positive they wouldn't be watching any of them that night. He let her go at it, watching her. It was as he did watch her that he picked up on the fact she seemed to be muttering something under her breath. He leaned in, trying to make out the words and it sounded like 'can't,' over and over.

"Lucy?" he winced, trying to get her attention. She sighed, stopping her muttering and putting the DVD down, half opened. "What happened tonight?"

"You know, I never really grasped the concept until now… a blast from the past. It wasn't just seeing something from the past, it was… seeing it… seeing it about to repeat itself," she closed her eyes. He shook his head, having no idea what she was talking about, but at least sensing it wasn't something she'd enjoy having to let him in on. "Grant was there at Breadstix tonight, you know… Grant Hastings," she specified and he saw the face flash in his mind.

"Your ex?" he asked, and she nodded.

"He was there with Anna Friedman, you know her, right?" she asked and he confirmed. After that, she grew quiet again. "He's going to hurt her," she declared.

"Did he do anything…" Artie asked, suddenly afraid of what she might be saying.

"Emotionally," she went on and he calmed, leaving her a moment to think before she went on. "You know, I've always told myself that the things that matter to me, really matter to me, shouldn't be ignored. And that went for a lot of things."

"I know," he told her. "One of the things I like about you," he told her with a smile and she returned it.

"Grant Hastings was the first boy I dated, first boy I kissed, and just… 'first base' was as far as I was ready to go. When he wanted to go further, I told him, and he said he understood, so I thought 'Wow, I've got the best guy.' He'd test the waters from time to time, to see if maybe I'd go further, but I'd say no and he'd back off." She paused. "Then one time I caught him and another girl… during…" she gestured, and he cringed. "And I ran out of there…"

"And he came after you?" Artie asked, and she shook her head.

"No… Guess he stayed to finish. When I saw him next he had this look on his face… like he wasn't sorry, he didn't care, and I just… I felt like I didn't know him anymore," her voice had been teetering on the edge of giving in to tears almost from the start and now it looked as though it was about to take a swan dive. "That day, it was pretty bad, but then it just got worse. It was in the days after that I found out what had really been going on, all this time, without my knowing. The girl he'd been with, she started spreading the word and all of a sudden they were coming out of every corner, other girls, and they all told me, basically… every time I told him no, he just went and found someone who would say yes. Everyone knew, apparently… except me, the idiot."

"You're not an idiot," he promised, hating to see her like this.

"Did you know about it?" she asked, sort of to prove her point. He hesitated.

"I didn't know it was you, I swear," he shook his head. She breathed, trying to regain control of herself.

"I know Anna Friedman. And I know she won't cave either, so then what happens to her? He gives her the runaround like he did me, he humiliates her and walks away… unscathed? She doesn't deserve that."

"Neither did you," he agreed. "But what do you want to do?"

"I don't know, warn her? What else am I supposed to do? If I say nothing then I'm just as responsible as he is because I could have stopped it. I don't like to interfere in other people's business, but he's the one who made it mine."

"Not saying you shouldn't," he started off, "But you should be careful. It could end badly," he told her and she nodded.

"I know, but I don't have a choice," she frowned, and he moved up to take her hands. She let out a breath, looking to him. "Sorry to dump all this on you."

"Happy to listen," he insisted, and she smiled, leaning to rest her forehead to his.

"Thank you," she told him, kissing his cheek, then his lips. She took another breath and then a third. "I think I should probably head home."

"My father can drive you," he offered.

"It's alright," she shook her head. "I think the air might do me some good. I think my shoes have stopped sticking," she tested.

"Call or text when you get home?" he countered, and she promised before heading out.

Artie wished he could have done more. He had never really given Grant Hastings much thought, but really just wanted to hit him right then for what he'd put Lucy through. He knew Anna, too, and he knew what Lucy meant about how she could end up in the same position she had. He'd probably known her longer than Lucy had; he was pretty sure she'd been in his first grade class. The thought of someone like Grant taking advantage of her trust and going behind her back made him feel wrong. So if Lucy wanted to tell Anna before she made a mistake, then he was all for it. But still he would worry.

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)


	3. Shouldn't Meet

_**This is a shift day [see above].** There was another upload this morning: Benefactors & Troublemakers._

* * *

><p><strong>"The Cautionary Tale of Lucy Collins"<strong>

**3. Shouldn't Meet**

A few days later, Artie had gone in to Breadstix with Lucy when she started her shift, after she told him they were rolling out a new variety of breadsticks that were apparently 'this close to crack.' He was made to swear that he'd be on his absolute best behavior, not bothering while she worked, so long as she in turn swore to come and join him during her breaks.

Her shoes had been cleaned, allowing her to walk at ease, and that seemed to fit with her mood. The day after her encounter with the pair at Breadstix, Lucy had gone to Anna and relayed her whole sordid tale with Grant, and when the girl had thanked her, Lucy had felt like she had done the right thing and so could be at peace. Artie was relieved to see her smile again, feeling pain for her over this whole situation. He knew it hadn't been seeing Grant which threw her in the deep end, they both saw him day in and day out at school. But now seeing him about to do the same thing he'd done to her to someone else had been too much for her, and he was kind of with her on it.

"So how are you liking the new breadsticks?" he looked up to find her walking toward him a little while into her shift.

"The people of this restaurant are planning world domination, and this is their weapon," he held up one of his last two sticks and she laughed, sitting across from him.

"I'll get you more. Though you should probably order something before Olivia threatens to throw you out… again."

"Why do you always sit me in her section then?" he complained.

"Because if I sit you in mine I won't get any work done," she smirked and he had to nod, agreeing.

"Fine, I'll order after you head back. It's feeling like a chicken kind of night," he nodded.

"An excellent choice," she pulled out what he called her 'waitress voice.'

"And it should go great with the new breadsticks," he added and she laughed.

"Addict. Okay, I need to get back, I mean those plates don't carry themselves," she spoke dramatically, getting up. "Be good, don't tease Olivia," she leaned in to kiss him.

"I'll do what I can, but I make no promises," he told her, watching head off. He looked back to his dwindling breadstick supply and was about to raise his arm to flag down his waitress, when he heard a voice from across the restaurant.

"What did you say to her?" Grant had stormed into the restaurant, going straight for Lucy. Artie dropped the breadstick to start wheeling toward them, not wanting Lucy to have to face him alone, judging by how mad he looked.

"To who?" Lucy asked her ex.

"Who? Anna, who else, idiot!" he yelled.

"Hey!" Artie came up. "Leave her alone."

"Stay out of this, Abrams," Grant waved him off like he didn't exist before turning back on Lucy. "You said something to her, I know it was you," he pointed. The volume of his voice was starting to draw the looks of everyone inside the restaurant.

"What would give you that impression?" Lucy asked, refusing to show herself as weak in front of him.

"The bitch went all Carrie Underwood on my car!"

"I didn't tell her to do anything like that, but points for the reference there, Grant," Lucy shrugged.

"So you did talk to her!" he took this as admission, which Artie supposed it was.

"I didn't tell her to do anything," Lucy repeated. "All I did was warn her about the kind of guy she was getting herself involved with, so she wouldn't make the same mistake I did, which was trusting that you'd respect my choices, and that you'd respect me. And with what you did, you made it pretty clear you didn't respect a thing." Artie was watching Grant more than Lucy while the girl spoke, and he could see the guy's fists clenching like he was resisting, and he had to defuse this before Lucy got hurt.

"Look, Lucy had nothing to do with what happened to your car, so you should back off."

"Artie, it's fine," she insisted. "Anna needed to hear those things," she looked back to Grant. "I wasn't going to let you lead another girl around like you did me."

"Oh, I didn't have to do that," he shook his head, and suddenly he looked like he had power again. Lucy blinked, blindsided.

"She slept with you," she declared more than asked.

"That night after eating here…" he confirmed.

Artie could see all the events sprout connections in Lucy's mind. Anna had said yes where Lucy had said no, only to find out the very next day what would have happened to her if she'd said no… More than that, Lucy was willing to bet Anna had wanted to say no, but changed her mind on a whim. And after finding out just what kind of guy she'd given it away to, she had flipped and taken it out on the one thing she could – his car. Everyone knew how much Grant valued that damn car.

"Good for her," Lucy's voice was flat, and by Grant's smirk he must have been dumb enough to think she was talking about his scoring with Anna Friedman. Lucy was not the kind to lash out, but words were enough, right words. "Hope she got your little toy good." That damn smirk melted away, and his hands were looking ready to come to blows. It all happened very fast at that. He'd raised his hand to strike, Lucy had recoiled, Artie was gripping at his wheels to maybe ram him away, and then all of a sudden there was a hand, holding Grant's arm in midair.

Everyone froze and looked back to find Marcel the chef to be the one holding Grant back. "You have two choices, kid. Get out of here now or I call the cops." After a moment he let go and Grant pulled his arm down. He looked to Lucy, like he very much wished he could hit her, then he frowned and stomped out. Lucy let out a breath, looking to the chef. "You alright?" he asked.

"I am… thank you…" she nodded and he went back to the kitchen.

"I tried to stop him," Artie spoke, turning to her.

"I know, I…"

"Lucy, a word?" They looked up to now find Bob the night manager standing there. They shared a look and Lucy gave a shake of the head – stay – before following Bob. Artie wasn't sure what was going on, if he just wanted to make sure she was alright, or worse… he wouldn't fire her for this, would he? It wasn't her fault her ex was kind of psycho. He waited there, in the middle of the restaurant, waiting for her.

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)


	4. But They Did

_**This is a shift day [see above].** There was another upload this morning: The Would-Be Catherine Pierce._

* * *

><p><strong>"The Cautionary Tale of Lucy Collins"<strong>

**4. But They Did**

His mother would say his winding his wheels forward and backward was his equivalent of pacing when he was nervous, and right then he was doing just that, remaining right where he'd left Lucy. She'd been asked into her manager's office a few minutes back, and she hadn't come back out yet. They couldn't honestly punish her for what Grant had done. She had only taken part in it because he'd more or less had her cornered. Artie had seen him, he was about to hit Lucy if Marcel hadn't stopped him… He still felt the adrenaline, the need to try and interfere, and now he had to ride it out, waiting on her.

When she finally emerged from the office, alone, he approached her. "Everything okay? What happened in there, what did he say?" he asked, following her, and when that took them out of the restaurant, knowing her shift wasn't done, he was stunned. "He didn't fire you, did he? I'll go talk to him, I…"

"He didn't fire me," she stopped him, as they headed out.

"Okay, good," he relaxed. "But then why are you…"

"He didn't fire me, but he did send me home."

"I wouldn't want to be working after that either," he nodded, still not grasping.

"He's sending me home for a week," she specified. "Without pay."

"What?" he was back to being stunned and outraged. "He can't do that, it wasn't your fault."

"I caused a scene," she repeated, then shook her head. "Look, I don't want to get into it again, I spent fifteen minutes trying to explain myself to him, it's not going to change," she told him, sitting on a bench. "I already called home, my father's coming to pick me up. Can yours come and pick you up or something, otherwise we can drop you off…"

"Don't worry about me," he waved it off. "I should have done something to stop him earlier."

"You did plenty," she promised, but he couldn't let it go.

"Tomorrow at school I'll deal with him," he went on, and she shook her head instantly.

"No, don't," she was firm about it. "I don't want you stooping to his level. I don't want that in my life. I'm done with jackasses. I've got a good guy now," she smiled, taking his hand, and he smiled back.

"How good?" he asked.

"I'd say the best, but I wouldn't want it to go to your head," she laughed. When she'd stopped though, and she saw his mind still seemed far away, she sighed. "Artie, I mean it. Just forget about Grant."

"It's just… when I saw he was going to hit you, I…" he shook his head.

"I know," she promised, pressing her lips to the hand she held. "I wouldn't have pegged him as that kind of guy, but probably what happened to his car…"

"That wasn't your fault though…"

"I didn't do the damage, but technically it did start because of me."

"It started with him," Artie disagreed. "He had it coming. Maybe having everyone seeing it is going to keep other girls from falling for his tricks."

"Yeah," she smiled, considering it from that angle. "Guess it's not so bad getting suspended for that." She paused, frowning. "I swear he wasn't like this before," she breathed. "I see him now though and it's like… How didn't I see it before? He's the exact same guy, except now I see him, really see him…"

"You liked him," he guessed.

"Yeah, the heart makes you do crazy things; that's what they say, right?"

"Oh, yeah." After a moment, he asked, "So what are you going to do with this week?"

"I don't know, what if I get this overbearing urge to bring people food?" she asked, pondering, and he smirked.

"Hey, I'd be more than happy to volunteer on that," he raised his hand.

"I bet you would," she laughed, breathed and resettled. "Listen, when my dad gets here, can you… not mention anything about what happened tonight?"

"What?" he asked, caught off guard.

"The suspension, and Grant… Especially Grant." He moved to reply, but she shook her head. "Please? I'd tell him about the suspension, but then he'd ask why I was suspended, and then I'd have to tell him about Grant, and I don't want him brought into this…"

"But Grant almost…"

"I know, I was there," her voice cut him off – she was getting upset. So he let her talk. "Grant will move on. He's pissed right now, but then he'll find something else to keep him busy, and then he'll go away. My father, he… doesn't care for Grant, and neither do I, but him… If I tell him, then it's not going to go away. It's small right now. The bigger it gets, the harder it'll be for it to disappear." He looked at her for a moment, trying to figure out what he should do. Finally, he gave her a small nod.

"Okay, fine," he promised.

"Thanks."

Soon after, Lucy's father arrived. When she looked to him, Artie told her he'd get his father to come get him – he didn't want to delay her. They kissed goodbye, and he watched her go. He called his father, and then he waited.

He couldn't shake the feeling maybe things weren't going to go away as easily as Lucy hoped for them to. He'd promised to leave well enough alone, and he would, but looking at Grant as he stood facing her at Breadstix, he didn't look like a guy who would forget and move on. No matter what happened though, Artie was going to stand by Lucy's side.

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)


	5. Now It Won't Go Away

_**This is a shift day [see above].** There was another upload this morning: There's That Smile._

* * *

><p><strong>"The Cautionary Tale of Lucy Collins"<strong>

**5. Now It Won't Go Away**

The next day had started off as something so dull as to be called potentially criminal… they could have died of boredom. Artie had seen Lucy, asked how she was, as he would have, and she thanked him, saying she was fine, and apologizing, not having meant to snap at him the night before. This was one of those days where their schedules very rarely intersected though, so already the plainness of the day was not seeing any improvements. Friends were one thing, but none of them made him smile like Lucy did. But for now they were apart, and he had class, so he went on toward his locker.

He didn't see him coming until he was right on the other side of that locker door. Then all of a sudden there was the shadow looming overhead, and Artie didn't have to look up before to know who had casting it. He did look though, finding Grant and his damn grin staring back at him.

"Hello, Abrams," he bowed his head.

"Look, I'm not getting involved in this," Artie shook his head, shutting the locker door.

"Too late for that," Grant countered. For a moment Artie remained there in silence, observing him. It was hard to imagine Lucy ever having seen something desirable in this guy, but then sometimes even the best people could get fooled. What mattered to him now was that she was free of him, and if he wanted to keep it that way, then he had to just turn and leave.

"No, it's not," Artie gave his parting words and turned his chair to roll off. Grant wasn't ready to call it a day though, so he followed.

"So what's your trick?" he asked Artie, who frowned in confusion. "Well first the Cheerio, now Lucy. Maybe I should join that club of yours, looks like it works miracles in hopeless cases."

"You're hopeless alright," Artie muttered to himself, moving along to try and get away from the guy.

"What's that?" Grant asked, then, "I want you to tell Lucy something from me."

"I'm not telling her anything, and you should leave her alone," his goal was to keep moving, not to get involved, but Grant wasn't giving him much chance.

"She needs to pay for my car."

"Lucy didn't touch your car. Anna touched your car," he kept himself from adding 'which you deserved.'

"I'm not going anywhere near Anna, she's crazy," Grant scoffed. "But Lucy, well she's just a tease, so…"

Artie felt a chill coil at his spine – no… he wasn't going to let him rile him up. That was what he was doing, he could tell, and somehow Artie would have to manage not to rise to it.

"Six months I dated her, you know?" Grant went on, following behind. "And, hey, I was a perfect gentleman at first. She wasn't up for it, so I waited. And I waited… And you know what I figured out? She liked it, liked having that power over me." Artie was surprised, that of all things, that made him chuckle: the guy was out of his mind. "What's so funny, Wheels?"

"Besides you?" Grant moved from his side and planted himself in front of his chair, blocking his path. Artie steeled himself, staring up at the guy. He wasn't going to get away from him, and his resolve was giving way under the need to stand up for his girlfriend in some way. "She told me what you did. Right now the best thing you can do is just leave her alone."

"What about my car?" Grant gave no mind to his words.

"I don't give a damn about your car." He reached for his wheels to back up and roll off, but Grant grabbed on to the chair, stopping him.

"Let me tell you a little story. I call it 'The Cautionary Tale of Lucy Collins.' About three months into our relationship, there was one night where she came… so close… to giving in, and I mean real close. Some but not all clothes had been thrown off, and I had my hands around her, you know?" he took his time, letting the image get good and settled in Artie's mind. He wasn't sure where Grant was taking this, but he could feel himself fuming at the stunt he was trying to pull. "Do you know, I think that girl's got the softest skin I've ever felt… Oh, but you wouldn't know, right? With me, just before things got really interesting, she went and pulled the coy virgin act and changed her mind, so I can't imagine she's taken the leap now, especially with someone who could never… really… make it worth her while."

"I think I can speak for her and say she's happy with the change herself," Artie did his best to hang on, but he was barely keeping it together.

"I think you're missing the point. You and me and her, we know what really happened," he stated, then looked around the semi-crowded hall. "But they don't," he turned a smile back to Artie, who felt prickling at his skin.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything… not yet, anyway. But, hey, I bet they'd all love to hear about this secret encounter of ours… with some edits," he added.

"You've got no proof," Artie shook his head, hoping that was the case.

"Maybe not," Grant admitted. "But she did have her shirt off, and I saw she's got this… scar, right here," he traced a line at his back, just under his left armpit. "Crooked little thing, I'm sure one girl or another is bound to have seen it in the locker room. And she'll tell another, who'll tell two more, and then no one will need 'proof.'"

"Can't blame a girl for not wanting people to think she slept with you, and it didn't even happen." If he wasn't holding on to something, he wasn't sure what he would do.

"They won't care. I mean, would you? And you still don't get it. If she kept that one a secret, then how many more could she be hiding?" Grant delivered his final hit, standing back up and taking a step back, with that smirk of his as he started to turn away.

In one second, Artie had snatched his wrist before he could get away. And in the next, he was swinging his fist.

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)


	6. It Could Hurt

_**This is a shift day [see above].** There was another upload this morning: Almost There._

* * *

><p><strong>"The Cautionary Tale of Lucy Collins"<strong>

**6. It Could Hurt**

Time felt as though it had slowed to a crawl, which was just as well. He was well aware of his limitations in a situation like this, but he'd started it now, and he knew Grant wouldn't let him get away unscathed, so he had to work with what he had while he could. Everything else had gone away now. All he wanted was to make this guy pay.

His swing had caught Grant in the nose, he guessed, judging by the crack and the blood that burst out. Grant staggered, stunned, his wrist slipping out of Artie's grasp.

"You broke my nose!" he whined, then looked back to Artie – he was aiming to strike back. Artie didn't have much time to think, but he grabbed on to his wheels, turning against him, half ramming into him.

"Walk away," Artie gave him the out, heart pounding with adrenaline. Grant wiped the blood from his nose on his sleeve, breathing heavily, but he wasn't going anywhere.

"You're dead, Abrams," he pointed a finger at him.

"I'm not scared of you," Artie didn't budge.

"You should be. Think I won't hit you just because you're in a wheelchair?"

"Well you apparently don't have a problem with hitting girls, so no, I'm pretty sure you're just an ass and you'll hit anyone. I'm still not going anywhere."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he went to take a swing, not factoring the height difference caused by the chair the way Artie did. So as he was swinging down, Artie swung up with a gut punch, making him bend over. He took that opportunity to give a shove at his head until he fell on the ground. Now Artie had the upper hand, looking down on the guy who threatened Lucy. If he could keep holding him off, then he might be okay.

"You leave Lucy alone. And Anna, too. Just walk away, and I'll forget this ever happened," he offered again, while Grant was still trying to get back on his feet.

Artie waited there, needing to know that he was being understood. Grant finally had one foot on the ground, pushing off from his knee to stand. Only rather than standing, he'd all but leapt and tackled Artie out of his chair. He didn't know when it had happened, but at some point his glasses had popped right off, sliding across the floor. Artie didn't care, more concerned with his crashing on the ground along with Grant.

His upper hand was gone. He couldn't get away from Grant so long as the other guy had power, since Grant's legs worked, unlike his own. He just kept swinging, hoping to land at least some hits, to get the guy away and try to regain his chair. He did get him at the side of the head, then the chin. And then Grant got his first hit in, guaranteeing him a black eye, and Artie couldn't get another swing in, while the other had his revenge on him.

As slow as time had gotten before, now it was impossible to tell how long the beat down lasted. All Artie knew was at some point Grant was pulled off of him. Everything was blurry, and he wasn't sure if it was because of his missing glasses or because of his right eye that was pained and begging to stay shut. He could still make out the fact that their tussle had gathered an audience, none of them having intervened, not until… His one good eye did manage to identify the fact that it had been Finn and Puck who'd pulled Grant off of him, as Mike came up to help him back in his chair.

Not long after, Will had arrived, along with Principal Figgins. Artie was sent toward the nurse's office while Grant was taken to the principal's, though he knew they'd both end up seeing the nurse and the principal at one time or another. Mr. Schuester had wheeled him there, and though he could vaguely hear him asking questions, Artie was wordless.

Now that it was done, he was starting to feel the after-effects. His eye was feeling like it'd be good and dark when he'd get a look at it. He reached up to his lip and winced, getting back with blood. He could feel soreness in a number of other places, barely remembering the blows that had come with them, although the fall had probably been responsible for a lot of that, if his shoulder was any indication. The one thing he'd need to see in order to assess would be his legs, but they didn't look wrong to him so far. He had yet to be returned his glasses, and maybe for now it was just as well.

He'd been left to wait, as the nurse wasn't in her office when he arrived. Will left him there, to go call his parents… and suddenly it was like his mind had returned to him. His parents were going to be called in, and they would see what had been done to him, but they'd also be told of what he had done. It wasn't as though Grant had been without fault, after what he'd done and almost done to both Lucy and Anna, and after he'd just stood there and kept pushing at Artie verbally… there was only so much he could take, especially where people he cared about were concerned. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing, but even then, things had gotten out of control and there was nothing he could do to stop them once they started. Whatever consequences came at him, if he was grounded and suspended, he could take it. He had been provoked, the only reason he had acted.

He needed to see her… Lucy… He needed to explain to her what had happened, what he'd done and why he'd done it. He knew he'd promised he wouldn't get involved, but Grant hadn't left him that choice. Now he'd have to see where this day took him.

TO BE CONCLUDED (TOMORROW)


	7. None More Than This

_**This is a shift day [see above].** There was another upload this morning: Come to the Dark Side._

* * *

><p><strong>"The Cautionary Tale of Lucy Collins"<strong>

**7. None More Than This**

He wasn't sure, but part of him felt like it knew when she was about to arrive. And then a moment later…

"Artie?" her voice was calling.

"Over here," he looked up, his blurred vision seeing her stop and turn. When she saw him, she gasped, halfway to a cry.

"Oh m… Are you okay? I mean, of course you're not, I… Here." She took hold of his hand and placed something in his palm he immediately recognized as his glasses. He was careful as he put them on, wincing as every hurt the movement encountered made sure to be felt. He looked back to her, standing before him, and her face was experiencing so many emotions it was impossible for him to get them separated properly.

"You found them?"

"I heard about what happened, but by the time I got there you were gone. Then I saw them on the ground, so I brought them over…" She cringed, looking at his face, then turned about. "Where's the nurse?" she started rummaging through the supplies, finding something to put to his cut lip, and ice for his eye. She carefully removed his glasses again, hanging them from his vest before holding the ice in place. He reacted to the cold, then calmed against it. For a moment neither of them said a word.

"Lucy, I…"

"Are you okay?" she asked her first question again.

"I'll be fine, I think," he replied. "Nothing feels broken. How are my legs?" She made him take over holding the ice before crouching to inspect his legs as best she could.

"They're okay, from what I can tell. That's good then… You'll be better in a few days," she declared, to him, but to herself as well. He was about to find out why she needed to know for herself. Because now that she knew he was okay, she had grown quiet. He took the ice down, left it in his lap so he could put his glasses back on and see her face. She looked upset, disappointed, almost angry.

"Lucy, I didn't go to him, he came to me," he started to explain. "I tried to get away from him, not to get involved, but he didn't leave me the chance."

"So he swung at you first?" she nodded.

"Well… not physically, no," he had to admit.

"And how is that not getting involved?" she asked. Was she crying? Her voice said yes, even if he couldn't see the tears.

"He was saying really awful things, about what he'd done, and what he would do. I didn't want you to get hurt," he took her hands.

"If you didn't want me to get hurt, then how is that the solution?" she asked. "Do you think it fixed anything, that suddenly he's going to forget all of it?" He didn't know what to say, didn't see any way he could give words that would amount to anything else but her being right. And she knew that. "I know that you meant well, and that Grant can be… a real piece of work. When we broke up, it took me a while to recover. And what helped me do that was a promise I made myself. I promised I wouldn't get myself get pulled into anything like that again." He knew what she was saying. He didn't want to be right about it, but he knew he was.

"I've never done anything like this, I swear. You didn't hear the things he was saying…"

"No, I hear what he says. Maybe not from him, but it doesn't mean I don't end up hearing about it. That's Grant, the guy I went out with for half a year. We're not a couple anymore, but I'll still have to be in the same school he is until one or both of us graduates, and then hopefully I never have to see him again, but until then it is what it is, and if I have to grin and bear it whenever I have to deal with him, then so be it."

"It won't happen again," Artie heard himself begging.

"I hope so. I really do," now he saw the tears.

"But until then, you can't be with me. That's what you're saying," he had to hear her say it, or something, had to know that his heart wasn't ripping for naught.

"I'm sorry, Artie, I swear I am," she shook her head. "I can't tell you how much I wish I didn't have to…" she went on.

"Then don't, please…"

"I have to," he could see how much it pained her to say it. "I have to take a step back. Maybe after a while we can be as we were again, if we still…" she breathed.

"I'd still," he promised. He wasn't sure if it was right, but he moved to hug her. When she responded and hugged him back, he closed his eyes. The pain in his limbs was not felt, overridden by a whole other kind. They held on for a minute before she pulled back. "What does it mean, do we just stop seeing each other altogether? No hanging out or… What about Stella?" his concern went straight to the little redhead, knowing how she depended on him sometimes. Now the thought of what it would mean for her little sister only added more to Lucy's grief.

"I… I'm not sure yet, we'll just… we'll have to figure it out as we go. We still have classes together, still have Glee Club… And I can stay until your parents get here, if that's alright."

"I'd like that, yes," he nodded. They were silent again… It was done. Now they had to deal with it. She picked up the ice from his lap, removed the glasses to return the coolness to his face. He could feel her touch, and it ached to know what he'd really lost that day.

The bruises were nothing. They'd be healed within days. The doubt he'd installed in Lucy's heart, that would take longer to heal. He didn't blame her for choosing to do as she'd done. It only reminded him that she'd had a life before they got together, experiences that he was still finding out about. This week, he'd seen the strength in her, the one he'd always known her to have, had been earned and not through ease. Now all he wanted was to show her that her trust in him up until that point had not been in vain.

THE END


End file.
